The present invention realates to a disk loader for a disk player for reproducing a digital audio disk such as a compact disk (CD), a video disk (LD) or the like and which functions to protrude a disk tray from the front of the disk player when a disk is to be loaded in the disk player and retracts the disk tray to a reproduction position when the disk is to be reproduced.
FIG. 1 shows a guide structure for the disk tray 3 of a conventional disk loader. The disk tray 3 conveys a disk 2 from a loading position to a reproduction position. The disk tray 3 has guide grooves 7 on the right and left sides of the tray. Each of the right and left attachment members 5 of a disk player 4 is provided with two guide rollers 6 fitted in a corresponding guide groove 7. The disk tray 3 is moved between the protruded loading position and the retracted reproduction position either manually or with an electrical drive or the like while being guided by the guide rollers 6 and the guide grooves 7.
When the disk tray 3 of the conventional disk loader is in the disk loading position, the disk tray must be stably supported by the guide rollers 6. To provide stable support, the length A of the protrusion of the disk tray 3, the depth D of the disk player 4, the distance L between the two guide rollers 6 on each side, and the diameter .phi. of each guide roller 6 are required to satisfy: EQU A.ltoreq.D-(L+.phi./2)
The longer the distance L, the more stably the disk tray 3 is supported. However, if the distance L between the two rollers 6 is increased, the length A of protrusion of the disk tray 3 is decreased, making it difficult to load the disk 2 on the disk tray. This is a drawback of the disk loader 3. If the length A of protrusion of the disk tray 3 is increased in order to make it easy to load the disk 2 on the disk tray, the depth D of the disk player 4 is increased, making it impossible to render the disk player 4 compact. This is another drawback of the disk loader 3.